How to Grow and Care for Toad Lily

Toad lilies, also called hairy toad lilies because of their texture, make striking additions to any shade garden. These unique lilies boast white to light purple six-petaled flowers that resemble the purple-spotted Phalaenopsis orchids. The flowers are famous for their vibrant purple spots that appear along tall, arching stems with leaves arranged in a ladder-like fashion. A floppy, fringy, speckled style and stamens burst outward from the petals. Note that all lilies are toxic to cats.

Toad Lily Care

Here are the main care requirements for growing toad lily:

• Plant in moist, rich soil, and shade or partial shade.
• Water consistently as regular moisture content in the soil will help the toad lily grow taller.
• Place toad lilies in areas protected from strong winds.
  

Planting

Plant toad lily in the spring for late summer or fall blooms. Space your lilies 18 to 24 inches apart in holes large enough to comfortably fit the roots without bending them. Position each lily with the growth tip facing up and placed just below the soil level.

Light

Toad lilies prefer partial to full shade. They are often found growing naturally on the edges of shady forests. In areas with intense sun and hot summers, full shade is ideal. Morning sun with afternoon shade, or partial shade throughout the day, is best for toad lilies growing in milder climates.

Soil

These flowers prefer fertile, organically rich, and loamy soil. Keep plants in consistently moist and well-draining soil with a slightly acidic pH. Add a generous amount of compost or other organic material to the soil to keep these plants happy. Consistently moist soil helps toad lilies grow taller than dry soil conditions.

Water

Toad lilies like consistent moisture, and therefore require consistent watering. Do not allow the soil to dry out. Water as frequently as needed to keep the soil moist but not soggy. Depending on your location's rainfall, these flowers may need to be watered multiple times a week.

Temperature and Humidity

These plants can be grown almost anywhere in USDA hardiness zones 4 to 9. They can withstand frigid temperatures and hotter climates when given full shade. They do well with moderate humidity levels. Too much moisture can cause rot, while too little can cause browning foliage.

Fertilizer

Toad lilies like nutrient-rich soil. Therefore, giving these flowers fertilizer each spring will ensure healthy growth habits. Use a well-balanced liquid fertilizer at half strength. Adding generous amounts of compost works great as well. This option also helps the soil retain moisture without becoming soggy.

Types of Toad Lily

Consider growing the many cultivars and hybrids of toad lily:

• ‘Golden Gleam’: This is a shorter plant with gray-spotted chartreuse and golden leaves with dark purple and white speckled blooms.
• ‘Lightning Strike’: The leaves have green streaks and bloom pale lavender flowers.
• ‘Miyazaki’: This cultivar grows a profusion of shorter purple and white speckled flowers.
• 'Miyazaki Gold': The plant is shorter than its cousin 'Miyazaki', growing 12 inches tall.
• ‘Moonlight’: The chartreuse leaves blend with unique purple-speckled white flowers and interior rings of purple.
• ‘Sinonome’:This hybrid has clusters of purple and white speckled blooms.
• ‘Tojen’: This unique hybrid produces white flowers with lavender margins and unspotted inner tepals on burgundy stems.
  

Pruning

Regular pruning after a toad lily has finished flowering in the early fall may help the plant produce more blooms. Prune a toad lily by trimming the flower stem at the base of the plant with a sharp, clean garden tool.

Propagating Toad Lily

Toad lilies are best propagated through division and cuttings. Division can be done in early spring, while cuttings can be taken in early summer.

Divide toad lilies in the spring using a shovel and clean garden snips:

1. Dig a circle around the plant, slowly loosening the root system.
2. Once the plant can be lifted from the ground, wear gloves and use the shovel and snips to divide the root system into multiple sections. Be sure each section has healthy roots and foliage.
3. Amend the soil with plenty of compost before planting each section in its spot.

Propagate toad lilies with cuttings in the early summer before flower buds appear. Use snips, a small pot, rooting hormone, and well-draining, rich, moist soil:

1. Snip a cutting around 4 to 6 inches long. Be sure the cutting has healthy leaves on it.
2. Dip the cut end into rooting hormone.
3. Gently bury the cut end into the moistened, rich soil.
4. Place the cutting in an area that receives bright, indirect light, and keep the soil moist.
5. Check after a few weeks for root growth by gently tugging the cutting. Resistance means roots have formed.

How to Grow Toad Lily From Seed

Toad lilies can also be grown by seed. Start them indoors or by directly sowing them into the garden. Do not bury these seeds using either method because they require light to germinate. Only use fresh seeds that are not dried and stored.

To start seeds outdoors, follow these instructions:

1. In the early spring or late fall, scatter fresh seeds in the garden. The cold experienced through winter or early spring will naturally stratify the seeds.
2. Keep the soil moist and watch for little seedlings. They should appear in the late spring as temperatures warm up.

To start seeds indoors, follow these instructions:

1. Place fresh seeds in a plastic bag. Put the bag in the refrigerator for about one month to simulate winter, as the seeds require cold stratification before germinating.
2. Remove the seeds after one month and lightly sow them on top of moist, rich soil.
3. Place the seeds in an area with bright, indirect lighting, keeping the soil moist. Germination should occur in four to six weeks.

Potting and Repotting Toad Lily

Toad lilies can be grown in containers if the soil stays moist. Because these plants do not have access to underground water sources, they need to be watered more often. Choose a pot with good drainage holes to prevent standing water. You should also pay attention to container material; a glazed ceramic pot or plastic pot is ideal for holding moisture but terra-cotta can whisk away moisture too quickly.

If the toad lily outgrows its container, you can repot or divide the plant. To repot, tip the container on its side and tap it until the root system is loosened and slides out of the pot. Fill a pot at least 1 inch larger with rich, moist soil, and plant the toad lily into its new container.

Overwintering

Toad lilies are winter-hardy plants and can withstand colder climates. However, when temperatures drop below freezing, cover the mound of each plant with straw, leaves, compost, or other organic material.

Common Pests & Plant Diseases

Toad lilies are not overly susceptible to pests or diseases. However, slugs in the garden may cause damage by eating the foliage of these plants.

Anthracnose can pose problems for toad lilies but look for newer cultivars or hybrids, such as ‘Sinonome' and ‘Tojen’, which are reportedly resistant to this fungal disease.

How to Get Toad Lily to Bloom

Bloom Months

Most toad lilies bloom from late summer to early fall (September and October). Toad lilies usually continue blooming for a month or so or until frost begins to kill the foliage.

What Do Toad Lily Flowers Look and Smell Like?

Toad lilies produce small, white to light purple blooms covered in iconic, vibrant purple spots. Each bloom is only about 2 inches in size and has six petals. They form on the nodes of long, arching stems that reach 36 inches long. Their arching shape and unique, exotic blooms often draw comparisons to orchids. The flowers have a fresh, light scent.

How to Encourage More Blooms

Encourage abundant blooms by giving plants plenty of compost or organic material. and keep the soil moist. Make sure the flowers do not receive too much sunshine, especially in warmer climates. These flowers do not require any deadheading.

Common Problems With Toad Lily

These hardy plants are not prone to many problems as long as they have adequate shade and moisture. However, even hardy plants can sometimes run into problems. Foliage problems are usually an indication of moisture management issues.Watch for these signs:

Brown Spotted or Tipped Leaves

Brown spots or edging on foliage is a sign of too little water. These plants require consistent moisture levels to stay healthy. If you notice any brown spots forming, give these plants more water. Water frequently, and do not allow the soil to dry out but avoid soggy soil, as this leads to rot.

Orange Spotted Leaves

Anthracnose may cause leaves to develop small orange spots. Prevention measures include watering only the base of the plant and not the leaves. Rid the area of gardening and other debris to give plants better air circulation.

From: thespruce